Westfield Teacher Selected for Prestigious Science Fellowship

By LORRE KORECKY

January 31, 2014 at 5:27 PM

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Susan Marie Terra
Credits: Westfield Public Schools

Susan Marie Terra with her students.
Credits: Westfield Public Schools

Susan Marie Terra of Westfield High School is one of seven New Jersey science teachers chosen as a Bayer-National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) Fellow for the 2013-2014 school year. She is among a select group of 200 science teachers across the country who will participate in a host of science-related activities and professional learning opportunities designed to promote quality science teaching, enhance teacher confidence and classroom excellence, and improve teacher content knowledge.

“The Academy Fellows are making a long-term commitment to give their very best to their students – and to society, as they inspire the scientists and citizens of tomorrow,” stated Dr. David Evans, executive director, NSTA.

As a Bayer-NSTA Fellow, Ms. Terra will receive online training, web seminars, and financial support to attend and participate in NSTA’s 2014 National Conference on Science Education in Boston. Westfield Public School District’s Science Supervisor Dr. David Stoneback stated that the National Conference will provide “learning and experiencing cutting edge science and content that will enrich Susan Marie’s own classroom instruction and that of her science department colleagues.”

A teacher of environmental science as well as of a brand new course, forensic science, Ms. Terra has stated that she hopes to accomplish many things this year as a Fellow. “The first accomplishment I would like to achieve is to build relationships with other teachers to share ideas ... and to build a toolbox of resources that are student-centered and infuses technology in a way that will make my classes exciting, fun, but most importantly, have my students be successful in my classes and beyond in my content area and others.”

Terra sums up her teaching in this way: “I love teaching science when students discover it really relates to them, especially when they are immersed in activities and begin questioning each other’s results.”

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